1,000 books

I’ve apparently been buying too many books lately because I just reached 1,000 for my library. A complete works set of Jane Austen hardcovers rounded it out. I know the number because of librarything, one of my favorite websites. (Incidentally, I just got runner up in a bookpile contest there that I entered over two years ago.) Why do I need more books? I don’t, particularly. But you can get almost any book used on amazon for $4 or less, and in good condition too. I got a still plastic-wrapped, signed, numbered, first edition hardcover for $4. This is generally why I try not to go into bookstores, and especially used bookstores or library sales. It’s so easy to walk away from those with oh, say twenty or more books per visit. At this point, I literally cannot cram one more single book into my bookshelves and I don’t have room for more shelves so I suppose I will have to stop. And all this at a time when everyone I know is getting a Kindle or Nook. While I think those devices have their place (good for travel, ability to search, nice to have everything in one minimalist place), I don’t think I will ever stop buying books. I don’t just love reading, I love books. I like having a physical book in my hands, I like collecting them, I think they’re pretty, and I especially like old books. Besides the fact that I think ebooks cost way too much, you can’t buy them used, and there are limited lending capabilities, you just can’t get the same feeling with a Kindle.